A type of battery cell in use today is the Sodium-Nickel Chloride battery. This type of cell uses an anode reservoir, a cathode reservoir and a beta alumina separator. The anode reservoir is typically filled with Sodium (Na) and the cathode reservoir is typically filled with Nickel (Ni) or Nickel Chloride (NiCl2) and an electrolyte. The beta alumina separator only allows sodium ions to pass, therefore the cathode reservoir contains Nickel (Ni) when discharged and Nickel Chloride when charged (NiCl2). A cell case generally surrounds the anode reservoir and acts as the negative electrode. A positive electrode extends into the cathode reservoir and is typically rod shaped.
In Sodium-Nickel Chloride cells, charging the cells more quickly typically reduces the battery's lifespan (when measured in cycles). In addition, increases in power and energy density are needed over the prior art to reduce the size and weight of Sodium-Nickel Chloride cells to make the battery cell useful in more applications.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a battery cell with an increased power density, an increased energy density, a reduced size and weight and a reduced charging time without an impact on battery life.